FLORENCE, SC – Freshman point guard Detrek Browning scored 25 points, including 6-of-6 free throws in the final 54 seconds, to lead Francis Marion University to its first four-game conference winning streak in five seasons with a 78-73 victory over Armstrong State University, Wednesday night (Feb. 11) in Peach Belt Conference men's basketball action.

Francis Marion ups its overall mark to 13-11 and its conference mark to 5-10.  The Patriots are now fifth in the East Division standings, one game out of fourth place and the final post-season tournament berth.

FMU will try to extend it winning streak to five when the Patriots entertain Georgia Southwestern State University on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. in the Smith University Center.

WATCH GAME REPLAY

Browning finished the evening 7-of-12 from the floor, including 3-of-4 on three-point attempts, and a perfect 8-of-8 at the foul line.  The Columbia native has eleven 20-point games this season.

FMU freshman guard Mike Davis Jr. scored 12 points and grabbed a career-high eight rebounds, while junior forward Dii'Jon Allen-Jordan tallied 12 points and six boards.  Freshman swingman AJ Jackson added 10 points.

Junior forward Trey Suttles paced Armstrong State (6-15, 4-11) with 17 points, five rebounds, and five assists, while senior Emmanuel Tiluscar added 15 points.  Senior Shema Sabiiti chipped in 14 points and nine rebounds and junior Shaquiell Mitchell registered 13 points and eight rebounds.

Francis Marion led by as many as eight points in the opening stanza.  That occurred at 30-22 with 5:11 left before halftime.  The Pirates responded with seven straight point to close to within 30-29, but FMU accounted for the half's final five points – a three-pointer by Browning and two free throws from sophomore Alex Bryant – to own a 35-29 advantage at intermission.

The Patriot lead again swelled to eight, 37-29, after a layup by Browning to open the second half scoring, but Armstrong State rallied with eight straight points to knot the score at 39-39.  The Pirates took a 56-54 lead after a bucket by Jonathan Blair with 7:12 remaining, but inside hoops from Allen-Jordan and Browning gave the Patriots the lead for good.

The margin was only one, 62-61, when Allen-Jordan converted a three-point play with 4:40 left, and one minute later, Jackson extended the lead with a tip-in.  A perfect 9-of-9 showing at the foul line in the final minute allowed the Patriots to hold off the Pirates.

FMU shot 45.5 percent from the field, including 10-of-20 beyond the three-point arc, and the Patriots hit 18-of-25 free throws.  Armstrong State managed only 42.4 percent, was 4-of-10 on three-point attempts, and connected on 13-of-21 free throws.

The Francis Marion bench outscored the Pirate reserves 21-9.

2-11-15 7:50 pm at Florence, SC (Smith University Center)
FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY 78, ARMSTRONG STATE UNIV 73
ARMSTRONG STATE UNIV (6-15 , 4-11 PBC)
Trey Suttles 7-12 1-4 17; Emmanuel Tiluscar 5-10 4-6 15; Shema Sabiiti 7-13
0-1 14; Shaquiell Mitchell 4-11 5-6 13; Jonathan Blair 3-6 0-0 6; Marcus
Hopper 1-3 3-4 5; Nicholas Scott 1-4 0-0 3; Jalen Green 0-0 0-0 0; Cole
Fountain 0-7 0-0 0. Totals 28-66 13-21 73.
FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY (13-11 , 5-10 PBC)
Detrek Browning 7-12 8-8 25; Mike Davis Jr. 5-9 1-2 12; Dii'Jon Allen-Jordan
4-14 3-4 12; A.J. Jackson 3-6 2-2 10; Dustin Jones 3-6 0-0 8; Luka Zivkovic
2-4 2-3 7; David Jerome 1-1 0-1 2; Alex Bryant 0-2 2-5 2; Judah Alexander
0-0 0-0 0; David Brown 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 25-55 18-25 78.
Halftime: Francis Marion 35 Armstrong State 29
3-point goals--Armstrong State Univ 4-10 (Trey Suttles 2-4; Nicholas Scott
1-4; Emmanuel Tiluscar 1-2), Francis Marion University 10-20 (Detrek
Browning 3-4; A.J. Jackson 2-5; Dustin Jones 2-4; Dii'Jon Allen-Jordan 1-2;
Luka Zivkovic 1-2; Mike Davis Jr. 1-3). Fouled out--Armstrong State
Univ-None, Francis Marion University-None. Rebounds--Armstrong State Univ 36
(Shema Sabiiti 9), Francis Marion University 37 (Mike Davis Jr. 8).
Assists--Armstrong State Univ 16 (Trey Suttles 5), Francis Marion University
15 (Detrek Browning 4; Mike Davis Jr. 4). Total fouls--Armstrong State Univ
22, Francis Marion University 19. Technical fouls--None. A-1000